IALA RECOMMENDATION

R0108 (E-108)
THE SURFACE COLOURS USED AS VISUAL
SIGNALS ON MARINE AIDS TO NAVIGATION

Edition 4.1
December 2017

urn:mrn:iala:pub:r0108
DOCUMENT HISTORY
Revisions to this document are to be noted in the table prior to the issue of a revised document.

Date Details Approval

June 1998 1st issue Council 19

Entire document: Reformatted to reflect IALA documentation

December 2005 Council 37
hierarchy

Section 2: Additional information about the influence on

December 2009 measurement. Council 46
New Section 10: Introduction of colour collections.
Section 2.5: Additional information about measurement devices
May 2013 Section 8: Some corrections Council 55
Section 9: Updated references
Entire document:
Alignment with IALA document strategy.
December 2017 Council 65
Removal of details and descriptions. Transfer of descriptive
content to new IALA Guideline G1134.

September 2020 Ed4.1 Editorial corrections.

IALA Recommendation R0108 (E-108) The Surface Colours used as Visual Signals on Marine Aids to Navigation
Edition 4.1 urn:mrn:iala:pub:r0108 P2
THE COUNCIL
RECALLING:

1 The function of IALA with respect to Safety of Navigation, the efficiency of maritime
transport and the protection of the environment.
2 Article 8 of the IALA Constitution regarding the authority, duties and functions of the
Council.
RECOGNIZING

1 the need to provide guidance within which the colours and colour boundaries of surface
colours used as visual signals on Marine Aids to Navigation should be determined; and
2 that such guidance should enable a common approach to be made world-wide, thus greatly
assisting mariners, who, while passing through waters of different authorities, should not be
confused by surface colours that are ambiguous;
NOTING this document only applies to Marine Aid-to-Navigation signals installed after the date of
this publication;

ADOPTS the tables and charts in the annex of this Recommendation;

INVITES Members and Marine Aids to Navigation authorities worldwide to implement the provisions
of the Recommendation;

RECOMMENDS

• that the colour model used throughout all specifications is the chromaticity chart according to
the CIE 1931 standard colorimetry system (2°-observer);
• that the standard illuminant for measurement is D65 (6500 K);
• that the measurement geometry is 45°/0°;
• that National members, other appropriate Authorities and manufacturers providing Marine
Aids to Navigation services adopt the system for surface colours set out in the annexes to this
Recommendation;
REQUESTS the AtoN Engineering and Sustainability Committee or such other committee as the
Council may direct to keep this Recommendation under review and to propose amendments, as
necessary.

IALA Recommendation R0108 (E-108) The Surface Colours used as Visual Signals on Marine Aids to Navigation
Edition 4.1 urn:mrn:iala:pub:r0108 P3
ANNEX A ORDINARY COLOURS

Table 1 Specification of ordinary colours

Colour Boundary Equation of the Luminance factor
boundary limits
Minimum Maximum
Purple y = 0.345 – 0.051 x
Red White y = 0.910 – x 0.07 -
Orange
y = 0.314 + 0.047 x
Red y = 0.265 + 0.205 x
Orange White y = 0.910 – x 0.20 -
Yellow y = 0.207 + 0.390 x
Orange y = 0.108 + 0.707 x
Yellow White y = 0.910 – x 0.50 -
Green
y = 1.35 x – 0.093
Yellow y = 0.313
White y = 0.243 + 0.670 x
Green Blue (Preferred) 0.10 -
y = 0.636 – 0.982 x
Blue (General)
y = 0.493 – 0.524 x
Green y = 0.118 + 0.675 x
Blue White y = 0.700 – 2.30 x 0.07 -
Purple
y = 1.65 x – 0.187
Purple y = 0.010 + x
Blue y = 0.610 – x
White Green 0.75 -
y = 0.030 + x
Yellow
y = 0.710 – x
Purple y = x – 0.030
Blue y = 0.570 – x
Black Green - 0.03
y = 0.050 + x
Yellow
y = 0.740 – x

(x, y) chromaticity coordinates of the corners of the recommended regions for ordinary colours specified in Table
1.
Table 2 Corners of the chromaticity regions of ordinary colours

Colour 1 2 3 4
x y x y x y x y
Red 0.690 0.310 0.595 0.315 0.569 0.341 0.655 0.345

Orange 0.610 0.390 0.535 0.375 0.506 0.404 0.570 0.429

Yellow 0.522 0.477 0.470 0.440 0.427 0.483 0.465 0.534

Green (Preferred) 0.313 0.682 0.313 0.453 0.238 0.402 0.004 0.632

Green (General) 0.313 0.682 0.313 0.453 0.210 0.383 0.015 0.485

Blue 0.078 0.171 0.196 0.250 0.225 0.184 0.137 0.038

White 0.350 0.360 0.300 0.310 0.290 0.320 0.340 0.370

Black 0.385 0.355 0.300 0.270 0.260 0.310 0.345 0.395

IALA Recommendation R0108 (E-108) The Surface Colours used as Visual Signals on Marine Aids to Navigation
Edition 4.1 urn:mrn:iala:pub:r0108 P4
 y 520 GREEN
530
0.8
540
510 GREEN General Region
includes Preferred Region
0.7 550 Indicates the chromaticty of
standard illuminant D65
505
560
Preferred
0.6
570
500
YELLOW
0.5 580

General 590
495
ORANGE
0.4
600
WHITE
610
RED
D65 620
0.3 630
490 650

BLACK 700

0.2 485

480
0.1
BLUE
470
460
450
0.0 400
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 x

Figure 1 Chromaticity regions for ordinary colours

IALA Recommendation R0108 (E-108) The Surface Colours used as Visual Signals on Marine Aids to Navigation
Edition 4.1 urn:mrn:iala:pub:r0108 P5
ANNEX B FLUORESCENT COLOURS

Table 3 Specification of fluorescent colours

Colour Boundary Equation of the Minimum

boundary limits Luminance
factor
Purple y = 0.345 – 0.051 x
Red White y = 0.910 – x 0.25
Orange
y = 0.314 + 0.047 x
Red y = 0.265 + 0.205 x
Orange White y = 0.910 – x 0.40
Yellow y = 0.207 + 0.390 x
Orange y = 0.108 + 0.707 x
Yellow White y = 0.910 – x 0.60
Green
y = 1.35 x – 0.093
Yellow y = 0.313
White y = 0.243 + 0.670 x
Green Blue (Preferred) 0.25
y = 0.636 – 0.982 x
Blue (General)
y = 0.493 – 0.524 x

(x, y) chromaticity coordinates of the corners of the recommended regions for fluorescent colours specified in
Table 3.
Table 4 Corners of the chromaticity regions of fluorescent colours

Colour 1 2 3 4
x y x y x y x y
Red 0.690 0.310 0.595 0.315 0.569 0.341 0.655 0.345

Orange 0.610 0.390 0.535 0.375 0.506 0.404 0.570 0.429

Yellow 0.522 0.477 0.470 0.440 0.427 0.483 0.465 0.534

Green (Preferred) 0.313 0.682 0.313 0.453 0.238 0.402 0.004 0.632

Green (General) 0.313 0.682 0.313 0.453 0.210 0.383 0.015 0.485

IALA Recommendation R0108 (E-108) The Surface Colours used as Visual Signals on Marine Aids to Navigation
Edition 4.1 urn:mrn:iala:pub:r0108 P6
 y 520 GREEN
530
0.8
540
510 GREEN General Region
includes Preferred Region
0.7 550 Indicates the chromaticty of
standard illuminant D 65
505
560
Preferred
0.6
570
500
YELLOW
0.5 580

General 590
495
ORANGE
0.4
600

610
D65 RED
620
0.3 630
490 650
700

0.2 485

480
0.1
BLUE
470
460
450
0.0 400
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 x

Figure 2 Chromaticity regions for fluorescent colours

IALA Recommendation R0108 (E-108) The Surface Colours used as Visual Signals on Marine Aids to Navigation
Edition 4.1 urn:mrn:iala:pub:r0108 P7